Paths of Peace
by Tyr'amun
Summary: A village rises from the ashes, another, from obscurity. The Fog of war encroaches on the borders of peace and all the while a mad men scheme. Destiny and Fate have played their hands, but Chaos and Balance, well they all love to play with Prophesy. AU Strong Naruto Pairings undecided.


I do Not own Naruto or anything related to it, just this storyline. i make no profit from this... trust me.

AU. Strong Naruto, no pairing decided yet, but it wont be a 'harem' he may date some chicks in the process of finding his 'love' but like in life it will be secondary to the real stuff going down around him

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto, is anything but an ordinary child. From the moment of his conception, he was already different. He was born of two incredibly powerful people, not to mention that he was sharing the same space as an entity of power.

But of course, he did not know this.

No, even at 5 years old he did not know who his parents were, see the day he was born his parents died. They died defending their village and more importantly, their son.

But of course, he did not know this.

Thus far, the circumstances of his life had never been truly favorable. His parents died, and in the process gave him a gift, a gift of great importance and power. It was why the village itself treated him as a non entity. He simply didn't exist, and while neglect is a form of abuse, it can be argued that to a child it is the worst form. One would think the natural reaction to someone of his station, would be panic or assault. But make no mistake, he was never harmed. The Law was there for him to live in peace. Relatively anyhow...

But of course, he did not know this. And oh how bad he wanted to know 'this'. He wanted nothing more, as an orphan, to know who he was, who his parents were, and why, why no one loved him. Why no one paid him any mind. He was a child for god's sake, and no one cared, well except for the old man. But he was busy, yeah? Did it stop the young boy from asking the old man whenever he saw him... No. on the contrary, he asked every single time he ever spoke to him.

"Old man, Hokage, who is my daddy and mommy?"

"I'm sorry Naruto, but I cannot answer that question for you." or "When you are ready." or "when you can handle it" or "when it's safe for you to know". He promised them, truly promised everyone he ever asked that he would never tell anyone ever, but that didn't matter.

Was it really such a bad thing that he simply knew who his family was? Were they bad people? Was that why? He didn't know, so on the way back to the orphanage, his mood would turn sour and when his mood was sour, he played pranks cause damn it he wanted attention. He always garnered attention, negative or otherwise.

He would also take what he wanted out of food stores and other vender carts, he even stole a kunai once, though the head master lady at the orphanage confiscated it. But why was that bad, the food was there and he was hungry. That's not to say that he didn't receive an allowance, he could afford all his needs and then some. But still he was 5 years old he shouldn't have to fend for himself and with no one to really tell him right from wrong, how was he supposed to know?

Besides, this is a ninja village. Shouldn't he be training in how to be sneaky and take things without no one noticing?

Today however, is a day that he would never forget. Because today in his birthday, October 10th 1005 after the passing of the great sage or 1005ags, the first day of the rest of his life.

* * *

10/10/1005

Today day like every other day, even though it was his birthday, 5th birthday to be exact, and today like every other day he walked right into the village leaders' office, the Hokages' office, and asked as he always did.

"Hey old man, who are my mommy and daddy? Please it's my birthday and, I, I would really like to know cause all the other people in da orphanage know who their parents were. Why can't I know huh it isn't fair?"

The old man sighed "Naruto, now just isn't the right time. As you can see, I am very busy please, come back later." The Hokage muttered pointing over to the growing amount of files on his desk, his numerous secretaries glaring unkindly at the boy.

"But... it's my birthday can't you just tell me please." he whimpered... why was life so unfair to him.

"Sorry Naruto-kun, it's just not the right time." With that the Hokage motioned for one of the secretaries to show the boy out of his office. As he reached the door however, someone on the other side opened the door in a quick motion, hitting the boy right in the forehead.

"Yosh, Hokage-sa...ma." he stammered having noticed that his 'youthful' exuberance knocked the boy out cold. "It seems my youthfulness has gotten away from me again, for this I will run 5..." At that the boy, Naruto, blacked out.

* * *

When Naruto awoke, he noticed two things. One; the environment he was in had changed dramatically. He sat up with a quickness that made his head spin. Looking around at a huge cavern of waterworks. 'A sewer? sooo cool I wonder where this place is I don't remember walking into any sewers.' The second thing was 'Why would a sewer need a gigantic cage?' Once he stopped speaking however, he noticed that while darkness permeated the cage, an audible breathing was heard.

"Hello, is anyone there..." the young blond asked into the nether.

A low growl was heard in response, then two giant red eyes opened and a snarling jagged maw made its self known.

**"Hello boy, it seems that you have fallen into the seal at a much earlier time than was expected..."** The giant creature

"Ahhhhh, Monster Rabbit, monster Rabbit, ahhhh!" said boy turned pale as a sheet and began running around in circles screaming said curses and accusations, that, this being was indeed a giant monster rabbit.

"**Calm yourself boy, I am no... Monster Rabbit? Did you just call me… a monster rabbit, boy do you recognize me at all, have you not learned of the great and terrible…"** At this point Naruto stopped running in his tracks, he turned around slowly to look at the creature again, slowly, he raised his arm, finger pointed at the great caged beast...

"You mean you're not an evil giant rabbit?"

**"..."**

They stared at each other for a moment

"..."

An eerie silence.

Then it happened, the quintessential moment in the giant beasts' life when he looked upon the boy and saw that maybe, just maybe after all this time, humanity in and of its self was not too far from Him.

And they shared a laugh a good "old-fashioned" belly laugh from deep within.

Between chuckles the great beast managed to stammer out an introduction.

**"I .. haha am… hahaha, the Great… Kyuubi no Yoko…hahaha!"**

"Hi my, names' Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto what's yours?"

**"Hmmhmmhmm, my name? I just told you I am the Kyuubi no Yoko... with a swing of my tails I can cause hurricanes, Tsunami's and destroyer of mountains in a single swing…"**

"Pfft, Nine Tailed Demon fox yeah I got that, but what's yer name?"

**"What makes you so sure that it isn't?" **he asked incredulously.

"Well, I'm kinda dumb, like everyone says but I'm not stupid... I can count on my fingers that you gots nine tails, and your big and a little scary looking but you laughed... demons don't laugh. SO then I think that what you said is just a tile... tittle..."

**"Title?"** the Kyuubi said, squinting his eyes in a thoughtful pose.

Naruto smiled up at the beast. "Yeh dats da word those old foggies said."

"You are not stupid, nor are you dumb little one..." the Kyuubi smiled and lowered his gaze down to the boys' level. Well as best as he could, the boy was very tiny in comparison.

"Thanks Fuzzie..."

**"Perhaps I was wrong."** The Kyuubi sweat dropped at this point.

"Well, you never said to me your name so what do I call you." The boy sat, pensive about this particular predicament.

**"I will say this, boy, in all my years as a captive; your innocence is... liberating to say the least."** Then the kyuubi had a thought, a thought that he never had the inkling he would ever have again _**'Do I tell him, does he deserve it?'**_

"Umm... I hate libraries." Said Naruto as he cast his gaze down quickly

**"What…? Yes well, as much as I would love to continue this little conversation young one, I must ask, will you let me out?"**

"Umm, I don't know mister, why are you in der anyways, wont people be mad at me?"

**"Yes they most certainly would be."**

"Oh, well tanks for tellin da truff."

**"You have been honest with me boy. I merely return the favor, but how about this I will tell you why I am here and you can decide if judgment was fair, and in return I will tell you who your parents are. Does that sound like a deal."**

"Wait, you know who my mommy and daddy are and you'll tell me who they are if I let you out... but what if I think that yer juudgerment, was fair... will you still tell?"

**"That is of course if you listen to what I have to say completely. Do we have a deal? How will I know that you will not go back on your word?"**

"I promise, I promise with all my heart, I want to know sooo bad who they were. I mean it. Trust me, k, now you promise not to go back on your word."

**"I promise, and I never go back on my word, I swear it on the pride of my father, or my name isn't, Kurama, 9th son of the great sage." **

* * *

How ever you want to look at it or how anyone may describe him, Hiruzen Sarutobi was and still is the smartest ninja to date. But even he didn't foresee nor could he foretell the result of a door hitting a boy squarely in the forehead.

Nor could he understand why the boy was fully unconscious. He would laugh in his sleep then he cried for almost an hour once, sometimes he had no expression at all and when he asked the doctors what was happening they could only say... 'seems like he's asleep, there is nothing physically wrong with him.'

The Grizzled old leader stroked his beard and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance, _'Damn it'_, "Very well," he said as he stood up to leave the hospital room. "notify me as soon as he wakes up."

"Yes Hokage-sama."

The Hokage, now in his late 60's was still a spry man. He moved like any shinobi I his forces, and people often didn't even realize that he walked past them, unless he wanted them to notice. Tonight however, he merely wanted to get back to his office, it was late and he had important shit to finish no thanks to Gai. He was strong, agile, still walked strong, no limp or anything but he was one thing however.

"Tired old man?"

Jiraiya, that lovable son of a bitch. "Yes, tired is the word." he said as he walked into the office, his student sitting behind his desk, sake ready to be shared. "You know it suits you, that desk." he said pointing at his wayward child.

"Please, still trying to get me to take the position?" he 'pfft' at his sensei.

"God yes, I just want to relax..." he said with a sigh. He then cracked a smile and poof, he was

sitting in his chair and Jiraiya was flat on his ass with a thump.

"Old, monkey..."

"What was that boy?"

"Nothing you old shit..." he let out a sigh, damn that old monkey, never did teach him how to do

Jutsu without hand seals. Just the old _'When you have learned a jutsu so well you don't need seals...'_ bull shit.

"So how are things old man?"

"You know kid same old shit."

They sat there, shooting the shit like master and student, or rather, like the best of friends. Sometimes the conversations were light, sometimes much heavier. But as they sat there time went by, hours in fact and as it approached midnight a strange coincidental sign of bad luck happened. Both of their sake saucers cracked, then the sake porcelain.

The two wizened shinobi stopped in their conversation and looked at each other wearily.

then, the most astute words that have ever escaped the great toad sage's mouth were uttered.

"That can't be good."

And, as if fate was trying to prove a point, a sound they had not heard in a long while erupted through the village. A strange sense of weight carried itself throughout the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Sarutobi would later describe it in his report, as if _"Once again, god had raised the level of gravity upon the world."_

As if on cue, like a conductor was working a grand symphony, after the rage filled cry of a beast they had not heard from in many years rang though the village, its townsfolk too cried out… in fear.

"Jiraiya, if I should die..."

"I got it old man, no worries. The village will be safe I promise."

"So be it," the aged Hokage turned to his now present ANBU unit.

"Mobilize as many troops as we can, and find Uzumaki Naruto."

"Sir? but the kyuubi, it must be..."

"The Kyuubi has not yet been fully released. This is merely half of its strength, the Yondaime's

seal must still be resisting... Go!"

The ANBU unit vanished as quickly as they appeared.

"Why, why of all days would this be happening?" blurted the Toad sage, a cross between anger and sorrow.

"5 years to the day... This must be the work of the Biju trying to free itself... it must be manipulating the boy." Then in a much more grave tone the old Hokage continued. "If the village see's the boy I may not be able to spare him Jiraiya..."

"What!? you can't be serious."

"Let's go Jiraiya!"

Both men jumped out the window, though, with Jiraiya following his sensei, he didn't see the way his Senseis' eyes glazed over, the moment the Hokage said Naruto's name.

* * *

A glowing red blur shot across the townscape, dodging people and buildings alike the blur stopped and let out a vicious chuckle.

_**'Incredible, the boy has allowed me the use of his body. oh how it feels to be free. Even in this form a chance to stretch the limbs.'**_

"Halt, demon."

**"On whose authority do you presume yourself capable of telling me what to do?"**

The creature let out a hum and then projected a focused amount of intent to kill the man. The Shinobi didn't last a second.

**"Pitiful..."** the beast said aloud **"the boy withstood my full projection and he is only 5, your shinobi have grown weak Konoha."** seemingly speaking to the village itself.

"He's a career Genin, Kyuubi-san, perhaps someone more skilled would be to your taste."

**"Thinking highly of yourself in this situation will get you killed little boy," **

"Maybe…" the man said in a lazy tone. "but why didn't you kill him?" Just then the young shinobi finally took in the appearance of the beast. It stood approximately 5 foot from paw to shoulder, much smaller than the young man remembered seeing, but the thing that truly caught his attention was the form of a young boy lying motionless as if he were floating in a pool.

"Release the boy!"

The beast replied a calm, cool, **"No."**

Just then a full contingent of ANBU appeared next to the boy now known as, "Kakashi-senpai!"

"You're not at full power fox, can you really take us all on in that state." he said lifting his head band to reveal his gifted eye.

**"My intention is not to kill anyone I simply want to be free." **he said matter-of-fact, **"I was in the mood for killing, and so had the intention, you would be dead."**

To the ANBU units credit they didn't outwardly flinch, but on the inside, well that was a different story.

"Then you see the irony in holding the boy captive."

**"I am not holding him captive, he simply allowed me out. We made a deal." **He smiled, it was a wicked smile, and it unnerved them all.

"Why are you manipulating the boy..."

The beast interrupted him **"Manipulating? no, is it simply too hard for you to believe that I merely gave him the information he wanted in exchange for my release, but as you can see..."**

The fox was then interrupted as its red eyes rolled into the back of its head a screeching roar emanating from its mouth as he pulled his head back and bellowed. The beast took a swipe at the group of ninja, they all dodged. The monsters movements seemed sluggish as if it wasn't fully in control. This thought was further reinforced as Kakashi saw the mindless rage envelop its now bright white orbs.

"There is a power struggle going on in its mind, everyone concentrate on bring him down, slow him down anyway you can just don't hurt the child!"

"Yes sir!" the force replied in unison, though many thought to themselves 'easier said than done.'

Even without a consciousness, the beast had a battle spirit. even though it moved sluggish, it was prone to bursts of speed that made Kakashi glad that he had the sharingan, and that his rival, the green clad 'youthful' jonin Maito Gai, was just as fast as he was. The battle raged jutsu sprang forth and gave life to ferocious battle, all the while, the conversation with the beast lingered in the ANBU captain.

_'It spoke, it said all it wanted was freedom and did not intend to kill anyone, yet why has it lost control now.' _He saw the beast attempt to charge a chakra attack but it was interrupted as another shinobi, kicked it hard in the 'face'_ 'Is this the power of wild chakra?'_

He ducked a chakra arm that extended his way, barely missing him and maybe shortening his hair just a few inches. Just as he thanked his battle hardened reflexes, a thundering kick hit the beast in the side of its face.

"Stay focused my rival, this is not an easy opponent." Said the very same man that set the wheels in motion. One, green clad bushy browed beast of Konoha Maito Gai.

"Sorry Gai-san did you say something?"

"Gah Kakashi, So cool!"

They gave each other a nod, and returned to battle.

* * *

**"Yondaime!"** Roared the kyuubi behind its cage, the man had stopped the boy from pulling off the seal. **"You yet again deny my freedom yet again!"**

"No, you are manipulating my son, at such a young age too, cunning as always you old fox."

**"No I did not manipulate him, I simply cut a deal."**

"What possible deal with a five year would yield an adequate trade for the power of a Biju."

The fox roared, not in anger but laughter, **"Oh Yondaime how little you truly understand of the situation, turn look at your son then you will understand..."**

The giant fox, laid it head down to level its gaze on the two blonds.

The Yondaime, the great fourth Hokage, turned his cerulean eyes to look into the eyes of his son and saw what the fox spoke of.

"So... does that mean you really are my daddy?" his son didn't know who he was.

With a bust of yellow light he appeared and wrapped his arms around his son, "shh yes Naruto I am."

A choked sob escaped his lips his words laced with happiness "cool... that will show them."

The happy reunion was, however, needed to be cut short. "Naruto, unfortunately I don't have much time and we have much to discuss, first tell me everything that the Kyuubi told you."

"OK... Dad."

* * *

The entire pediatric ward in the hospital was in chaos, the pure unadulterated chakra of the 9 tails radiating through it, caused panic, then the demon enhanced child tore through the walls of the building until it was free, the nurse checking on the boy at the time was catatonic and had several chakra burns on her person out of sheer proximity.

The district he landed on was half residential, with some small home businesses, those were gone. Then he made a bee line to the front gate, he didn't make it half way until Kakashi stopped it. Then in the chaos of it losing its mind, it destroyed 26 homes and 12 businesses.

One man a Ramen shop owner was outside, having made it out just in time, of course he protected his daughter with his life.

Sarutobi heard the man mutter, "Well at least no one is dead what an unfortunate event, I hope the boy is ok though."

It seemed that the man and several ninja were the only ones with mercy in their hearts for the boy.

The rampage had stopped abruptly as Sarutobi and Jiraiya landed at the scene of the battle, quickly subduing the young boy. Then just like that, the Kyuubi's chakra receded and there was once again, peace.

For a moment.

"Thank you Hokage-sama!"

"The Hokage and the Sannin saved us!"

"Kill the Demon boy."

"Kill it. "

"It's too dangerous Kill him!"

The Hokage quickly grabbed the unconscious young boy, and slung him over his shoulder, blood stained his robes, as the chakra had eaten through the boys' skin.

"Uzumaki Naruto, is the container of the Kyuubi, and as such he will not be killed because in doing so his death will fully release the monster within!"

The crowd roared in disapproval, demanding punishment and retribution. Twice the beast attacked, and twice the monster has been spared.

"Sarutobi end this madness." growled the toad sage to his right.

"So be it, from this day forward Uzumaki Naruto, is to be imprisoned, until the end of his natural born life."

"Sensei!?" asked/shouted the great toad sage.

* * *

It was dark in this cave but, at the moment, that, is exactly how he wanted it. he sat there tired, keeping this level of control at this distance over two incredibly powerful ninja was taxing to say the least, but, he needed to, for peace, for HER. His back was connected to what looked like roots, which extended into the shadows.

Suddenly, a giant green plant extended out of the ground and slowly bloomed showing a man's face half black and half white.

The black half spoke, "Hey wake up we have something to say..."

The white half spoke, "Don't speak to leader-sama like that, Tobi-san, something has happened in Konoha."

"Come Zetsu, what of it?"

"The boy attempted to release the Kyuubi, he will now be locked up in prison."

"Perhaps my friend, that is exactly what I wanted, this way, he will not be trained in the arts making the final leg of this race much easier, what news of rain country?..."

* * *

What news of Rain Country indeed. The storyline is obviously AU, and there will be a few changes to a few things. And one OC. I think it's a pretty good OC maybe a little overpowered but not by much.


End file.
